How to power up for training

As a player you try to prepare for a game well (OK, some of you do) – so why not treat training the same way?

Your midweek kickabout might not whet the appetite quite like 90 minutes at the weekend, but by getting your body in shape for some hard graft after work, you'll thank yourself while the rest of your team-mates wilt.

More after the break

It's not rocket science to give yourself a boost, as Emma Stevenson, director of the brain, performance and nutrition research centre at Northumbria University, attests.

"For midweek training the best way to prepare is in the hours before a session," she says. "Ideally that'd be preparing something the evening before that you can take with you to consume, usually two-to-three hours before the session.

"If you don't have time to prepare anything then the best type of food to grab would be bananas, malt loaf or hot-cross buns, which will give you some energy. Malt loaf is high in carbohydrates, which the body absolves quite quickly."

Emma Stevenson was speaking at the Science + Football Conference. This year's conference is on Sunday, April 12 at St George's Park. For more information visit www.scienceandfootball.com.